Firefighter recognized for saving nephew’s life by performing CPR
By Hannah Cotter
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HOOKSETT, New Hampshire (WMUR) — A Nashua firefighter performed life-saving CPR on a family member over Labor Day weekend, and on Sunday, a hockey team thanked him for his efforts with a special surprise.
Lt. Michael McGovern was spending time on Lake Sunapee with family over Labor Day weekend when his nephew Caleb fell into the water and stopped breathing. Doctors told the family if McGovern hadn’t been trained in CPR, Caleb wouldn’t have made it.
McGovern was recognized at an Avalanche Mite Premier hockey game in Hooksett for saving his nephew’s life.
“I heard somebody yell, ‘Where’s Caleb?’ and started screaming,” McGovern said.
The toddler had fallen into the water on Lake Sunapee during a family outing back in September and stopped breathing.
“I’d swam in and they had already pulled him out of the water and started CPR on him and I just grabbed him and continued doing CPR until he regained his breath and his pulse,” McGovern said.
McGovern, or Uncle Mike, said his firefighter instincts immediately kicked in.
“Just having that training and that knowledge in the back of your mind in case you ever do need it. And hopefully, it just kicks in when you do need it,” McGovern said.
Caleb’s mom, Amanda Sinacola, is now encouraging others to learn CPR because she said Uncle Mike’s quick actions saved her son’s life.
“We definitely were worried that we were going to lose him,” Sinacola said. “The hospital was explicitly clear with us that if we didn’t have someone trained and ready to go onsite, we wouldn’t have him here.”
Caleb loves spending time at the rink watching his older brother play hockey.
“He does love to be here at the rink,” Sinacola said.
So, the team decided to thank Uncle Mike for saving their tiny future teammate with his own custom jersey.
“I feel very blessed. I’m blessed that he’s still here,” McGovern said. “I’m blessed that we all can get together and celebrate his life. So, I’m very thankful.”
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